SERMON XV.

ON THE DANGER OF SECULAR POLITICS WHEN SUFFERED TO INTRUDE INTO RELIGION.

LUKE Xviii. 31, 32, 33, 34.

"Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles; and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on, and they shall scourge him, and put him to death, and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things, and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken."

It is difficult, at the first view, to conceive

what there was in these words which the disciples of Jesus could not understand.

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Behold," said he, we go up to Jerusalem." This information was surely plain enough. "And all things," he continued, "that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished." It is very possible, nay, it is certain, that the disciples did not at that time understand the full extent of the mighty scheme of man's redemption through Jesus Christ. But it was not so much this great event itself, as the particular transactions in which the Son of Man himself should be personally engaged while here on earth, of which he then spoke. He tells them in plain words that" He should be delivered to the Gentiles, and should be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on, and they should scourge him, and put him to death, and after three days he should rise again." Was this the part of our Saviour's information which they did not understand? Had they never seen the fiftythird chapter of Isaiah; had they never

read the sixteenth, twenty-second, or sixty-ninth Psalms? Is there one circumstance spoken of by our Saviour, which is not found in these and other

parts of Scripture? And yet they understood him not.

Perhaps it may be thought, that the disciples of our Lord were of a peculiarly dense and obtuse intellect; but this was far from being the case. Men of science and learning, certainly they were not, nor had their minds been enlarged by any great degree of acquired knowledge; but we may gain from their history, that they were men endowed with a fair proportion of natural talent, and of understanding at least equal to others of their station and country.

How was it then, that they understood not the plain and intelligible language of our Saviour?

The truth was that, what he told them jarred suddenly upon their feelings and expectations. It was quite contrary to what they looked for. It crossed their national prejudices, it marred their per

sonal interests, and dashed to the ground their high-wrought hopes. They had joined themselves with our Saviour, from a sincere conviction of his divine mission; they had seen the miraculous power which he possessed; they had heard his words of divine wisdom, and well knew his perfect goodness. They believed, therefore, when he told them that he was the Christ the Son of God. But then they had imbibed all the current prejudices of their nation respecting the Messiah; they believed that he was come to establish a temporal dominion; and now, when they were going up with him to Jerusalem, they expected that he would shortly assume the high station to which they knew his power could raise him. Nay, they even began to contend with each other, which should be the greatest amongst them in his kingdom-one desired to sit on his right hand, and one on his left; which was neither more nor less than to be chief ministers and officers. In short, with all the ambition of a successful party in a state, they began to struggle with each

other for those honours and emoluments, which they believed to be within their grasp. When, therefore, Jesus began to talk to them about his sufferings and death; the words came upon them so unexpectedly, as to overpower and confound them. It was not so much that they understood not their meaning, as that they comprehended not how they could possibly come to pass.

I need not proceed to show you at length how the minds of the Apostles were gradually enlarged; how they learnt to appreciate more truly our Saviour's character, to understand the words of prophecy, and the mode of their fulfilment; and in place of striving together for superiority in an earthly kingdom, how they vied with each other in dedicating their lives to the advancement of his spiritual dominion. These things I need only glance at. But having drawn your attention to the feelings and views of the disciples which the words of the text exhibit to us; I shall proceed to point out their origin and tendency, and